Strong Madibaz golfers ready for challenging USSA course
The Madibaz will take a trip to Makhanda’s Belmont Golf Course this weekend for the upcoming University Sports SA tournament to be hosted by Rhodes from Monday December 4 to Friday December 8.
The 18-hole course, which opened in 2015, is located to the south of Makhanda in a narrow agricultural valley with undulating terrain.
The course is relatively short at 5, 710m and includes five par-5s, five par-3s and eight par4s, six of which are shorter than 350m.
The sloping surfaces of many of the greens create a strong defence against the lack of distance, as does the indigenous bush bordering most holes.
Madibaz Golf Club president Karl du Preez described the course as challenging.
“We are fortunate that our players were exposed to the conditions at Belmont during the intervarsity [with Rhodes, Fort Hare and Walter Sisulu] earlier this year, but it is a course you need to play often to develop your strategy. That is why they are testing it out this
weekend before the tournament begins,” he said.
“It is to give our players further opportunities to familiarise themselves with the demands of the layout.”
The Madibaz will take two four-man teams to the event, with the A side focused on finishing among the medals.
In the previous USSA tournament, a depleted Madibaz outfit ended among the last placings.
“We were missing JP van der Watt and Altin van der Merwe on that occasion,” Madibaz Sport golf manager Theresa le Roux said.
“This time we have our best
players available and will definitely be aiming to move up in the final rankings.”
Besides the challenging course, she said the players would also have to contend with the heat at this time of year.
The first three days of the tournament are dedicated to the individual stroke play competition with the final two reserved for the team event.
Madibaz A: Van der Watt, Tian Tibsheraeny, Wian van Aswegen and Lumkile Mantshiyo.